MovieChat Forums > The Children (2008) Discussion > An Opinion from Open-Minded American

An Opinion from Open-Minded American

posted 14 years ago by Zw4nzig
19 replies | jump to latest

It seems to me, that the majority of "my fellow Americans" on this board are giving the movie low marks on account of its failure to completely explain everything: 'Too many plotholes, things aren't explained away', etc etc. And I see other people, who, I presume from their colloquialism-usage, are English, who give the movie good marks.

I personally thing it did a wonderful job. Things aren't simply explained away (Ok, Dr. Character walks in, "Ok guys, the kids have a virus. It effects this part of the brain and makes the lil' heathens go psycho!") and the way genuine human beings would react are shown.

The "knob" never really sees the children do anything bad perse, and he acts accordingly. The blond-mom isn't sure what to think after killing her son, I think the thing on the whole does a great job of showing a great big human mess.

In the end, we don't know EXACTLY what causes the chaos, because there is no blatant Dr. Character. But we're as clueless as the characters are, which I think lends to our being slightly on edge.

I also tend to think this is a general difference between the two countries on their types of horror. Another example would be The Descent, in which -exactly- what happened in the ending is never really shown or explained.. Where the monsters come from aren't explained away, etc. I think I am starting to like British horror more..

Opinions on this dividing line?

[–] mr-murph 14 years ago

A lot of modern American horror movies don't even have real stories. They just introduce a bunch of characters and kill them off in gory ways. Sometimes I enjoy these flicks as much as the next guy, but still I wonder if modern audiences really have the attention span "to get" a more complex plotted movie.

I thought The Children was a really good movie with an interesting premise - and a compelling story.

[–] jbaker1-2 11 years ago

A lot? *Most* modern American "horror" is boring, unoriginal tripe aimed at a very uncritical audience who don't mind paying good money to see something they've already seen a hundred times or more.

That being said, it does seem that the "unknown infectious agent turns people into homicidal maniacs" theme tends to crop up rather often in British horror films (and some American ones too). Just as substituting the Appalachian hill country for the Nevada desert doesn't save 'Wrong Turn' from being nothing more than 'The Hills Have Eyes' with a new coat of paint, substituting kids for adults doesn't change the fact that 'The Children' is fundamentally just another "killer virus" flick - albeit one with a red herring or two tossed in to keep you wondering.

Granted that all art is to some extent derivative, be it music, painting, writing, cinema or what have you, horror films seem to suffer from that more than most. Hardly surprising when you consider that these days, the genre is largely dominated by independent filmmakers, many of whom aren't suffering from an overabundance of either money or talent (Uwe Boll or Leigh Scott, anyone? <G>). While there is the occasional exception, the days of the big studio, big budget horror film with A-list actors and something resembling an actual plot are, at least in American cinema, long since over.

[–] keepit_simple 14 years ago

I completely agree with you!

Cellar Door

[–] KeFkAsNigHtMare 14 years ago

i think youre being cliche and typical by bashing american peoples taste. I realize its hip and everything to pretend you have better taste because you like things non american.... but stop sterotyping... and stop patting yourself on the back for being more "cultured" than the rest of us dumb close minded americans.

this movie was average at best. It was slow...the teen girl was a typical scene kid with an attitude and multi colored hair.. been done before... and better. The horror.. wasnt really even horror. Just unexplained murders by kids who apparently got a disease. The shocks, werent shocking. The pacing was lackluster. Over all i give it 3 out of 5 stars.. becasue its a decent conecpt (which i dont think they fully took advantage of) and some of the acting was good. (specifically the guy who played Jonah and the little kids were convincing.) So.. all in all... this response is not a bash on this movie.. but a bash on "my fellow americans" who like to bash other "fellow americans" by bashing america. Its not hip anymore. its trite and overdone.

[–] brushfyr 14 years ago

Usually I'd agree with the person above who's name I'm not going to try and type cause I have a bit of a headache, but I think some of what the OP said is correct.

I dont think it's American bashing in this, but I think alot of horror fans today, at leas the young ones, are gore hounds. To them horror is a slasher killing naked teens and even if they manage to chop him in two the last scene in the film is him standing up with an axe so you know there will be a sequel.

I did like this movie, it was alot more suspenseful then horror, ie more Birds then American Werewolf in London. I read one review where the person went on how he could easily beat up the kids therefore they werent scarey. Obviously, that person doesnt think like an adult because most adults know they can beat up a kid but realize they arent supposed to and usally try to avoid putting a toddler for bragging rights.

The horror came in the we, the viewer, knew something was wrong with the kids. But of course, the parents didnt, and that's what confused alot of people who didnt like the movie I think. The parents arent in Scream, they dont know they are characters in a horror film, so they dont automatically think the tykes are responsible for swing set accident that decapitates the babysitter. They're thinking "Oh my god, the babysitter is dead", not "I have to get my shotgun and blow away junior because he's a zombie!"

Having said that, I did like the movie, but it wasnt the greatest. Not 10 star, but really good. I just think most people who hated it wanted midget Jasons flipping over cop cars.

[–] daveygravy 14 years ago

The stereotypes are true though. In general American audiences have a low-attention span, and the rest of the world is a bit more open-minded.

Does EVERYONE fall into those groups, and all the time? Of course not. But judging from my experiences, and most people's, that's just the way it is.

My girlfriend is American and openly admits it - they USUALLY want a dumb popcorn movie where they switch their brains off. I'm English and I think for the most part we want a dumb popcorn flick slightly less frequently.

It's nothing to do with intelligence, it's just a culture/taste thing.

One thing I've noticed from living in America for the last year is that Americans talk nonstop during movies. It drives me insane. Back home we shut our mouths for 2 hours and then talk afterwards because we're focusing on the plot. Americans USUALLY just wanna see some explosions and car chases and aren't paying full attention to the film.

And that isn't American-bashing by the way. I like it there for the most part, and I like the people (notably my girlfriend); I'm just saying how it is.

I don't think the OP is 'giving himself a pat on the back' just because he liked a British film and has a very valid point on why a lot of Americans wouldn't/don't. Hollywood churns out movies for profit, and it panders to the masses, we know this. Unfortunately the masses prefer unoriginal films which are all exactly the same.

[–] tkell31 11 years ago

Food for thought. Our worst movies do well overseas so what does that say about audiences outside the US?

[–] MrZoolook 9 years ago

It says that the good movies aren't promoted and that bad ones are licensed to cinemas at a far cheaper rate, presumably because even America knows they are terrible, and so don't charge as much!

[–] chilone 9 years ago

You know this how?

I don't love her.. She kicked me in the face!!

[–] MrZoolook 9 years ago

I know it because it's true. Crap pointless schlock gets country funding levels of budget, massive amounts of press pre and post release, and get panned by critics and public, and all but dissappear by the time they get to DVD/BluRay. Then you get decent indie or small budget films with no real press release, that get praised by those same critics and public, and go on to be remembered as classics for generations.

THAT is how I know this. Don't be so butt-hurt, expensive *beep* productions requiring no thought whatsoever have a vital role. They keep people with zero attention span busy.

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[–] chilone 9 years ago

Those are nice theories.

I don't love her.. She kicked me in the face!!

[–] MrZoolook 9 years ago

That's a nice denial...

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Insert signature here.

[–] chilone 9 years ago

What have I denied?

I don't love her.. She kicked me in the face!!

[–] chilone 9 years ago

Late in the game but here it is anyway:

The stereotypes are true though. In general American audiences have a low-attention span, and the rest of the world is a bit more open-minded.

How are you able to make a generalization of over 300 million people?

My girlfriend is American and openly admits it - they USUALLY want a dumb popcorn movie where they switch their brains off. I'm English and I think for the most part we want a dumb popcorn flick slightly less frequently.

Another baseless generalization by one American whom apparently thinks she's the spokesperson for the movie going American populace. Most of, if not all of my friends are a lot more broadminded in what they want in movies.

I don't love her.. She kicked me in the face!!

[–] TheMasterBuilder 14 years ago

To begin with, I thoroughly enjoyed this film!
Far more than I expected to as I feel generally let down by a lot of British films recently. However the argument on this thread is mis-directed.

It's not general 'American-bashing' that occurs on here, more peoples' frustration with what we get spoon-fed by the American studios. It is they who treat their own populace as idiots, not expecting them to have the intelligence to 'get' a more complicated storyline, or non-fairytale ending without a nice moral for us all to digest and ponder upon.

Changing the endings, even titles, to British, European or Australian films is far too common, often rendering stories trite or ruining a good ending (eg. 'The Descent'). They also do it to their own films though, famously 'Blade Runner'.

How many films on this site have alternate American titles?
Not just our films going over there, but also theirs coming over here.
Sometimes there is a logical cultural reason, eg. the first 'Harold and Kumar' film was amended to '...Get The Munchies' over here in the UK as no-one here knew what '...Go To Whitecastle' meant before seeing the movie.

However, 'The Madness of King George' was adapted from a stage-play called 'The Madness of George III' (obviously referring to our mentally troubled monarch who presided over the loss of the New World colonies), and it was decided by the American studio or distributor that this would confuse people who thought they had missed 'The Madness of George I' and 'The Madness of George II'.
Sad but true.

It was interesting that Hollywood took such an interest in modern Japanese horror, but again had to try and sanitise it for their own audience. A good example of this is 'The Grudge' or 'Ju-On'. I believe we are categorically told in the Japanese original that there is no way to stop it, and yet by the time there was a second sequel in America there is apparently a simple little ritual that will dispel the curse! Very disappointing.

Anyway, any poor individuals who demand that all loose ends be tied up before they leave the cinema (note CINEMA not THEATER - what do Americans actually call Theatres?) are only reacting to the way they have been nurtured by the film-makers. Test audiences can provoke entire re-writes of endings, re-edits and re-shoots. Goodness knows how much better so many films might have been had they not had to be sterilised through a poplular vote first!

"Baldrick, I've told you before: you mustn't let me sleep all day; this woman charges by the hour."

[–] McQueen85 14 years ago

Woah! Everything you just said I completely agree with 100%!

"You want to investigate my courage? Do you? Find out! Find out!" (Robert Ford)

[–] scaryminds 14 years ago

Weighing in from Down Under. Superior Brit horror movie that simply dripped atmosphere. Not everything needs to be explained or tied up neatly, hence why people are debating what happened in this movie after watching.

I'm always slightly amused by Yanks deciding a foreign horror flick has plot holes when obviously it simply wasn't a Boredwood conveyor belt effort. This movie works to it's own internal logic, you need to concentrate and put in some effort, it's not neon signposting everything.

Loved the open ending that not only left room for a sequel, yes please, but also is open to argument. Best Brit horror flick since "The Descent" or perhaps "28 Days Later".

Currently writing a review and the terms "atmosphere", "tension", and "excellent Direction" keep cropping up in my notes.

For Aussies, this one is being released to DVD finally on 8th Sept by Icon, full recommendation.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] WeirdRaptor 8 years ago

I'm an American and I also loved this movie. Yeah, Americans tend to have low attentions spans, sadly, and even I fall prey to it occasionally. I liked to think that I'm climbing out of the hole, though.

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you." -Gandalf